Knowledge Questions

An Introduction

What is a “Knowledge Question”

• Questions about knowledge.

• Apply to any aspect of knowledge Acquisition Production Shaping Classification Status Acceptance or rejection of knowledge

What is the point of this?

• KQs form the basis of your TOK mark

• Presentation- May

• Essay- December

Situation: My uncle visited an acupuncturist

Not a K.Q. Traditional medicine

Poor Does acupuncture work?

Intermediate How can we decide if acupuncture works or not?

Good What is it about a scientific explanation

that makes it convincing or unconvincing?

Situation: Article on Science and Religion

Not a K.Q. Physics and God

Poor How do religious people come to their beliefs?

Intermediate Are religious beliefs reasonable?

Good How can reason be used to justify religious belief?

Situation: A new government policy

Not a K.Q. Stopping teenagers smoking

Poor Will predictions on teenage smoking turn out to be correct?

Intermediate How can we use models to predict crime waves?

Good To what extent can the human sciences use mathematical techniques to make accurate predictions?

Sort the Knowledge Questions

• Sort the following “KQs” into the categories of not a KQ, poor, intermediate, and good.

• Situation: An optical illusion Why do optical illusions happen? What, if anything, do optical illusions tell us

about sense perception and truth? Optical illusions What can we learn from optical illusions?

One More Sort…

• Sort the following “KQs” into the categories of not a KQ, poor, intermediate, and good.

• Situation: An article on the fall of Saddam Hussein Capital punishment: why should or shouldn’t we adopt

it? The execution of Saddam Hussein What role should intuition play in justifying capital

punishment? How can we know if capital punishment is right or

wrong?

Read the article and do the following…

• Identify a real life situation

• Create four “KQs” Not a KQ Poor Intermediate Good